Gov't to break ground on Fort to Ortigas bridge

ABS-CBN News

MANILA - The government will break ground this week on a bridge that will connect the Fort Bonifacio and Ortigas business districts as part of efforts to ease traffic in the capital, a Cabinet official said Monday.

The Fort to Ortigas bridge is part of a plan to build up to 12 new roadways that will cross the Pasig River, adding to the current 28, Public Works Secretary Mark Villar told ANC's Headstart.

"We feel these will decongest Guadalupe, C-5. We know how congested it gets in those areas," he told ANC's Headstart.

The Fort to Ortigas bridge will have 4 car lanes and a provision for pedestrians, he said.

"We also want to focus on people who walk, who use bikes, for the environment and service people who just want to make a more conducive environment," he said.

Villar said the government would also break ground on 2 other bridges over the Pasig River this week, with construction for the three structures scheduled to finish in 2 years.

President Rodrigo Duterte has earmarked P107.8 billion on infrastructure projects that are meant to decongest the country's roads, Villar said.

These include 200 bypass roads and 18 highways, including the Laguna Lake Highway, a 10-kilometer road connecting Taytay and Bicutan, and a 70-kilometer highway in Cebu set for construction next year.

The Laguna Lake Highway will have 4 lanes and a bike lane, a first in Metro Manila, Villar said.

"All cities across the country, we want to decongest. We have identified the major congestion points, cities, and we’re coming up with solutions to all of them," he said.